That Look
by Red Wright
Summary: It's all about her. Well not exactly, the rest are involved too.


One-shot! ...or a bunch of one-shots _if_ inspiration strikes me. Anyways, enjoy.

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That Look

The afternoon wore on, jadedly as it did. The seconds slowed, they slowed to a pace where he could observe every single detail; and he loved doing so.

Takeru watched her discreetly out of the corner of his eye. She shifted in her seat, leaning back into her chair now. Her hands were still resting on the table and she began to softly tap her pencil on her palm. She was really enjoying the lesson, he knew she was.

She had moved in next door from Shinjuku three years ago, and since then he has had the habit of observing her. She had always attracted his utmost attention; she had always seemed so interesting to him, she still did no matter how much he already knew about her now.

"You're like an entire encyclopaedia on just her." his childhood friend Hikari Kamiya had said to him once a couple of years back after she, out of curiosity, asked him to tell her what was it about that girl that he liked so much. Takeru didn't blush a tinge but merely laughed at her remark.

Takeru didn't mind that from then on his friends referred to him as her very own dictionary because he did know exactly who she was. And he knew he wasn't the only one who saw her like that. Many other boys liked her too but Takeru was sure that the only other person who noticed her most, besides himself, was his good friend Henry Wong. Takeru's eyes shifted to the boy who sat across from him and behind her. He too was observing her discreetly with that enthralled look in his eyes.

"Mr Takaishi." The teacher called. Takeru and Henry blinked out of their own little worlds while the entire class shifted their attention eagerly to him; Rika raised an eyebrow at him. "I am _so_ jealous Takaishi. It must be difficult to keep your eyes off Mr Wong but please try to pay attention to my class."

The students snickered and laughed making Henry blush while Takeru nodded his head shamefacedly, "Yes sir."

"So jealous, Mr Takaishi, that I demand a little alone time with me after class." Mr Fujiama added stoically and turned his back. The class snickered again and settled back into an attentive hush as the lesson resumed. Takeru gave Rika and Henry a meek shrug to which they both exchanged grins. From then till the end of the class, Takeru and Henry managed to pay attention to Fujiama's lesson. Of course every now and then they would sneak a glance at her.

The last bell rang and the students packed their belongings and left in hordes. Takeru remained in his seat; he had a date with the teacher. Rika wagged her finger teasingly before she left.

"Oh Mr Takaishi." Fujiama called in a sarcastic tone with a frown as he peered over the pile of homework on his desk. Takeru sighed inwardly.

-

Henry waited for his good friend outside the classroom. When Takeru emerged, they both paused and shared a good laugh.

"We're so hopeless." Said the darker haired teen with a sigh as they started down the corridor. "But thank goodness it wasn't me."

Takeru laughed and asked, "So where're you off to?"

"I'm going to go find Hikari first. Who knows where Daisuke is. So we'll meet you at the table?"

Takeru nodded, "Sure thing man."

"Alright, see you." Henry gave him a pat on the back and they went different ways. Takeru turned right while Henry turned left. Takeru stepped out into the courtyard and into the afternoon bright but cool sun. It was the perfect weather to be outside. And she was sitting at their table waiting for him. Takeru grinned. He recalled a night. Their respective divorced mothers had agreed to give them the spare key to the other's house seeing as they came over frequently. So a few nights ago, near midnight, Rika unexpectedly entered his room.

"What's wrong?" he had asked even though she appeared outwardly normal. Rika shook her head and plopped down onto his bed beside him. And then finally after a minute of silence on her part and waiting on his, she sighed.

"I don't know what to do anymore." She complained. Takeru sat up and made room for her to sit comfortably.

"What happened this time?"

Rika went on to tell him about the yet-another fight in the long string of fights she had with her boyfriend. Takeru listened patiently and sympathetically as he usually did, chipping in on a comment or insult where he figured was necessary and when she was done, he offered some friendly encouragement and advice.

Rika smiled gratefully, wiping away a tear and took a deep breath to shake herself out of her wallowing.

"Have you heard about Hikari?" she asked. By then an hour had passed and they both were sitting on the floor with their backs against the side of his bed. Takeru was a really neat sixteen year old boy and coupled with a neat-freak of a mother, his bedroom floor –his entire bedroom for that matter– was rather clean.

"Yeah, actually I've known about for quite some time now." Takeru admitted and quickly added when Rika launched a pillow at him. "But she made me swear on my writing abilities I wouldn't tell a soul! She wanted it to be personal, I guess." He shrugged.

Rika nodded in understanding and an impish grin crept onto her face. "I wonder who her crush is."

Takeru hid a smile and shook his head saying he did not know but Rika caught that hidden smile and she begged him to tell. When Takeru still refused, Rika resigned and pouted, "Fine."

They sat quietly after that; both were feeling a little sleepy but not quite ready to sleep. Rika later shot him another thankful look, one that seemed softer and purer than before. "Thanks for listening, Takeru, to me and all my problems. I really appreciate it."

Takeru modestly shrugged and said anything for a friend. Then he asked, "So what are you going to do about this?"

"Me and him? Well, maybe it's over between us." She said with a shrug. "And if it is, it is. There'll be other great, even better guys out there for me right?" she winked at him. Takeru chuckled and nodded.

Takeru shook the memory away and made his way across the courtyard. The table was the furthest from the bustle of lunch or after school crowds and a big tree would lend it some shade from the sun. She was sitting at the end of the bench that was bathed in sunlight, engrossed in a book, as she usually would be whenever she was waiting.

Takeru grinned to himself. He loved her scarlet hair, how it would blaze in the sunlight as if it was fire, how it would seem dormant at night, how it would flow freely and gracefully in the wind. He loved how any sort of hairstyle would suit her. He loved the look on her face when she was engrossed reading a book and he absolutely loved how her face would light up and his heart would skip a beat at the mischievous grin she would throw him when she saw him approaching, like what she was doing now.

"How was your big date?" she asked, putting her book aside.

Takeru sat down across the table with a dramatic sigh. "Sadly I broke it off with him just now. I had to. I just got to know that he was seeing some twenty-nine other students besides me. And they're all from our class! You and Henry excluded but still! Can you believe that? The nerve!" he grunted and crossed his arms with mock disdain. Rika laughed at his performance. Takeru loved to hear her laugh. Inwardly he called himself a hopeless romantic but it didn't matter as long as she was happy.

She sobered up pretty quickly but remained smiling. She hit her palms on the table. "So," she said, "me and boyfriend."

"You and boyfriend." Takeru repeated with a smile on his face but his heart was conflicted as to whether it should drop into his stomach or burst with joy just yet.

"He called me this morning; he apologized and asked if we could make it work. He's even taken the day off work today and he'll be here in a few minutes to pick me up." She said, almost carefully as though waiting for his reaction to decide the air between them.

Takeru felt his heart suddenly become still, it had probably given out under the pressure of the conflict a moment ago but he smiled all the same. "That's great, Rika. I mean, if it's what you want then I'm glad for you."

A small smile. "Thanks."

-

Henry and Hikari, with their arms linked, made their way to the table through the horde of students that had gathered to linger in their own groups. He saw Takeru and Rika were already there as usual. Takeru had his back to them but he knew Takeru was smiling at her. Henry remembered the day they both first met Rika Nonaka.

She had moved in next door to Takeru and Henry had spent the night there. It was noon when Rika and her mother showed up at their front door to introduce themselves. Henry knew then that he and Takeru had fallen in love at first sight with Rika, even if she was completely unsociable towards them. Ms Takaishi had invited them in to join them for lunch; all the while he and Takeru were to be politely transfixed on Rika. Back then Rika only smiled when Ms Takaishi spoke to her and she only replied to Takeru or him with as little number of words as she possibly could which made them feel immensely uncomfortable.

Henry snorted when he remembered that he had felt a little jealous that Takeru got to be the next door neighbour. Sometimes he still felt a little jealous of how close Takeru had gotten to her but he would always laugh it off, shake his head and call himself a hopeless romantic. Henry grinned when he also remembered the evening he and Takeru had gotten into a stupid fight because they were both pining for the same girl. When they were finally exhausted from hitting each other, they made a pact to never let it get in the way of their friendship again.

"What's so funny?" Hikari asked, noting his grin.

Henry shook his head, "It's nothing."

"Come on." She pleaded him and began to tug on his arm.

"Hey!" Takeru waved to them as they got closer. Henry and Hikari stopped their fooling around and greeted them and took a seat, Henry beside Takeru and Hikari beside Rika.

"No surprise Daisuke's running late with god knows what. So what's new today?" Takeru started their after school catch up.

"Hikari's got a big crush on someone." Henry grinned. "Poor Daisuke."

Hikari flushed and stammered.

"Tell us when you're ready to tell us, okay?" Rika assured her, earning a grateful smile.

Takeru pointed to Rika with both index fingers, "Someone's got a big date today."

Rika waved away their cheers and congratulations and turned the focus to Takeru. "Speaking of dates, Takeru broke it off with Fujiama just now."

Hikari laughed and leaned forward. "It won't last long. He'll get caught daydreaming again soon."

"Hey!" Takeru narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yeah how come you always get caught looking at Henry? Are you…two…?" Rika asked, deliberately putting on an innocent face and tilting her head sideways.

"No!" the two boys immediately reacted in unison. "No, no."

"It's not that we find it offensive or anything, it's just that we're not." Henry explained a little anxiously. Takeru nodded, "Definitely not. Our love is purely platonic and the brotherly kind."

"That's right." Henry agreed and muttered to himself, "Takeru's just got bad timing too."

Hikari and Rika sniggered at them.

"Oh, sorry you guys but I've got to go. He's here." Rika said, pointing to the man arriving outside the school gate on a motorcycle. She slung her bag over her shoulder and picked up her book. "See you!"

The three bid her goodbye with some disappointment which they hid perfectly well to the oblivious and watched her walk away.

"And there she goes." Henry muttered. "I suppose none of us can have her."

Takeru spat bitterly, "No. Buttmunch's still got his claws hooked into her soul."

"Buttmunch's an ass to have treated her like that." Henry snarled, glowering but then sighed when Rika greeted her boyfriend with a hug. The guy was four or five years older than all of them. He was leanly built and had unruly brown hair and had the look of a gentleman womanizer, according to them.

Then Hikari heaved a similar sigh.

Henry blinked. He turned to the brunette and traced where her eyes landed and he blinked in surprise once more. In his mind he went, 'Oh' but outwardly he smiled.

"Can't blame you." He said to her, who smiled shyly. "She's perfect…flaws and all."

There was a thump on the table behind them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Daisuke said loudly, dropping on the bench beside Hikari. He rolled his eyes when he saw why neither Takeru nor Henry even bothered to turn around to greet him. "Oh you're ogling at her again. You guys need to man up and deal with it. So what if she's not into either of you? She doesn't even notice it anyways."

Takeru and Henry ignored Daisuke, looking at Rika talking to her boyfriend. Daisuke rolled his eyes again and tapped Hikari's shoulder. "Hikari are you sure you're not at least bi? Because then, I'd-"

At this Takeru and Henry groaned loudly and finally whirled around on him with looks of exasperation. Daisuke threw his arms up into the air indignantly, slammed them down onto the table again into a low crouch and hissed.

"Oh come on! She just came out to us a few days ago! Give me a little more time for it to sink in."

Takeru looked at him dryly. "Man up Daisuke, she's not into you."

"Yeah well…" then he noticed the faraway look on Hikari's face as she looked at Rika. Realization slapped itself onto his face, leaving his eyes wide and his mouth in the shape of an 'o'. "Oh. Oh this is…oh."

Takeru, Henry and Hikari heaved a long sigh simultaneously.

The fact stunned him almost as much as when Hikari had told him she could not possibly reciprocate his feelings, but Daisuke understood now. They were all in the same boat here. He understood now and he smiled.

"Hey, you know how the rest of the guys in school are attracted to Rika?" he asked, catching their full attention. "Do you think…I'm gay because I don't find her hot? I'm not at all attracted to her."

Takeru, Henry and Hikari smiled, giving each other the 'I really love him right now' look.

"Is that so?" Takeru said with mischief in his eyes.

Daisuke can be an idiot most of the time but he has his golden moments, most of which were like this, to pick them up when none of them could do it themselves.

-

Rika mounted the pillion and checked the strap on her helmet once more as she looked back at her friends. Daisuke had gotten Takeru into a headlock and Henry and Hikari were trying to separate them. She smiled fondly, thinking of how far they had all come to become such great friends and how she loved them with all her heart. And she smiled a little sadly, thinking of how she would not reciprocate Takeru or Henry's feelings for her because she had decided to give her relationship another shot.

"Ready?" her boyfriend asked. Rika nodded and held onto him. She looked at the courtyard again. Takeru and Henry chased Daisuke while Hikari cheered for them all. Rika wondered if she had made the right decision. She wondered if she would ever have the strength to make the right decision.

Just before they rode off Rika stifled her laughter when Daisuke tackled Takeru and Henry to the ground. Hikari stood waving her arms frantically and yelled something. Then they were all laughing.

Unbeknownst to her, there was a certain look on her face behind the visor. One her boyfriend had noticed before and felt jealous of but never asked her about. It was one she had whenever she watched him from afar or thought of him. The look had a little fondness, some longing and a lot of love.

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Well, please review.


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